The Art of Integrating Your Shadow Self

Unless you’re an exceptionally integrated person, there’s a part of you that you don’t like.

This part of you could be anything from particular personality traits to characteristics, attitudes, or behaviors. You may be ashamed of being a sensitive person, so you suck up the tears when something triggers an emotional response. Maybe you were shunned for acting a certain way, and now you believe that particular behavior is wrong.

In an attempt to be our best selves, we end up repressing aspects of who we are because we feel that we should be better than that.

And that’s how the shadow self is born: The rotten side of you that you don’t acknowledge. But it’s still there, and it’s always going to be there until you accept it, integrate it, and heal the wounds surrounding it.

The shadow self is a pretty complex topic, but if you’re on a healing journey, this is something that you need to know. By the end of this article, you’re going to have identified your shadow self and learned how to integrate it for a healthier sense of self.

What is the shadow self?

Shadow work is the act of integrating the shadow self. It’s a healing modality that works on the deeper levels of the subconscious mind (where our sense of self is spit off).